House Speaker Martin Romualdez (far right) hands over the P500,000 cash assistance to the family of slain caregiver Paul Castelvi. (Speaker's office)

As promised, the Office of the Speaker and Tingog Party-list delivered on Wednesday, Oct. 18 P500,000 in cash each to the families of the three Filipinos who were killed during the assault of militant group Hamas in Israel earlier this month. 

House Speaker Martin Romualdez personally met with the family of slain caregiver Paul Castelvi to extend his sympathies to the bereaved kin and hand over the half-million cash assistance. 

At the same time, two separate teams from the Office of the Speaker and Tingog Party List also delivered the same amount of cash aid to the families of caregivers Loreta Alacre of Negros Occidental and Angelyn Aguirre of Pangasinan, who were also killed during the Hamas attack in Israel. 

Following confirmed reports of the death of the three overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) in Israel, the Speaker promptly announced a joint personal donation with Tingog Party-list Rep. Yedda Marie Romualdez to provide cash aid and other forms of assistance to the affected families. 

“No amount of assistance can truly compensate for your loss, but we hope this small gesture will help assuage your grief and alleviate some of the financial burdens you are facing during this difficult time,” Speaker Romualdez told Castelvi’s family. 

Speaker Romualdez, leader of the 300-plus strong House of Representatives, was accompanied by Senior Deputy Speaker Aurelio "Dong" Gonzales, Jr. and Pampanga Governor Dennis Pineda in his visit to Castelvis. 

Negros Occidental 2nd district Rep. Alfredo Marañon III and Cadiz City Mayor Salvador Escalante went with the team dispatched to give cash aid to Alacre’s family, while Pangasinan 5th district Rep. Ramon Guico Jr. helped deliver the assistance to the family of Aguirre. 

"We stand in solidarity with our fellow Filipinos who, in search of a brighter future, found themselves in the midst of a conflict not of their own making. We honor the memory of our brave OFWs who paid the ultimate price,” the Speaker added. 

Castelvi, 42, a resident of Purok 2, Juliana San Fernando, Pampanga, was married to another caregiver in Israel, Jovelle. She is pregnant and expected to give birth this November. 

The son of Paul’s employer, Nadav Kipnis, recounted the Filipino caregiver’s kindness to his parents and expressed the belief that he tried to protect them from the Hamas militants. 

Israeli officials also hailed the 32-year old Aguirre, married and a native of Barangay Balagan in Binmaley, Pangasinan as a hero for showing courage when she refused to abandon her 70-year-old patient at a time when she had a choice to leave and save her own life. 

Alacre, 49, single was a resident Sitio Camay-An, Barangay Cadiz Viejo in Cadiz City,
Negros Occidental. 

In a Facebook post written in Hebrew, Alacre's employer Noam Solomon said the slain Filipino worker was her “devoted” caregiver for the last six years. 

Romualdez said the government is resolute in standing by its citizens, especially in times of adversity as he also underscored the importance of unity and support within the global Filipino community, particularly during times of crisis. 

He reassured the families of the slain OFWs that their bodies would be repatriated as soon as possible, citing the vow of President Marcos that the government would do everything possible to bring them back home.